Tuesday, October 5, 2010

With So Many Internet Connections, How Do You Decide Which is Best For You?

With so many Internet connections available today, how do you decide which is best for you? The first thing to do is determine which options are available where you live. Though there are many different kinds of connections, unfortunately, they are not all offered everywhere. Cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago or New York, which all have a well developed Infrastructure regarding Internet connections, can provide their residents with many options when it comes to getting online. Southern cities, like New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and rural areas in general usually can't provide many options for connecting.
Experts usually agree that the best connections available today are DSL and cable. It is recommended that if you can get one of these types of connection in your area that you should go for it. The reason why these connections are so highly prized is because of the speed that they provide. When it comes to the Internet, speed is the name of the game.
When talking about speed with regards to the Internet, there are really two speeds, both of which are extremely important. The first speed is known as download speed. This speed will determine how fast you are able to get information from the Internet to your PC or laptop. This speed is particularly useful if you use the Internet for recreational purposes. For instance, if you are a person that downloads music or movies, then you know that these files can be massive. If you are using a slower connection, downloading these files can take forever. In some cases, if the download speed is really slow, you won't be able to access these files at all.
The second type of speed is called upload speed and it will determine how fast you can transmit information from your laptop or PC to the Internet. This speed is particularly important in business. Everyone knows that when it comes to business the company that can transmit the most information the fastest will stay ahead of the competition.
If you can't get DSL or cable where you live, you should go for wireless Internet. Wireless is almost as fast as cable and DSL. And although you lose a little speed, you gain mobility. With a wireless system, you connect to the Internet by using a wireless router and a wireless card. This allows you to work in any room of your house, or in any corner of your office.
If you are unable to get DSL, cable or wireless, then satellite Internet is your best option. This new service is a little more expensive than the other three services. However, satellite broadband speeds are almost as fast as those offered by these three services. Furthermore, satellite Internet is between thirty to fifty times faster than a dial-up connection. Even though you have to pay more for satellite Internet, at least you no longer have to put up with the frustrations of a slow dial-up connection. Satellite Internet is the only high-speed Internet connection available for rural users. There are many Internet connections from which to choose. Before making a decision, do as much research as you can.